N is for New

Hello!  Welcome back!  I hope you are ready for the next blog post in the A to Z Blogging Challenge.  If you missed the last blog post, definitely go read that one.  Click here, or you will be very confused in reading today’s installment.

For this story, I am participating in the A to Z Blogging Challenge.  I felt that this was a really good opportunity for me to not only express my creativity, but challenge myself to building a very long story that could be cut up into multiple parts.  And for it all to make sense!  So if you want to follow along with other blog posts in the challenge, check the hashtag #AtoZchallenge to follow along.

This story would be categorized as Dark.  Thank you so much and I will see you tomorrow for the next installment.  Enjoy!

N is for New

The longer she sat there, the more she felt like she could be a Megan.  She thought that she could disguise herself by her name first, and then figure out how to change her actual appearance.  Maybe some hair dye and some colored contacts would help her.  And maybe she should let her eyebrows grow into an uni brow.

The rest of the day was uneventful.  Aspen sat on the corner and was able to make another $100 for the day.  That was enough to get some necessities for her to help change her identity.  Unfortunately she wouldn’t be able to do much, but she would try to do something to change up her look.  She started to walk to the nearest Walmart to see what she could find.

But as she walked down the street she came across a small cosmetology school.  Aspen stopped, unsure what to think of it.  Maybe she could do something there.  But they were probably really expensive and she wouldn’t be able to pay for that.  Or maybe they would be able to help her out.

Aspen slowly approached the doors and opened them.  A  woman standing behind the counter smiled.  “Hello!  How can I help you?”

Aspen swallowed.  “Uh…hi…uh…I was wondering if you had any sort of uh…deals I guess for getting my hair cut and dyed.  I don’t have that much money but I need to get my hair done.”

The woman’s eyes suddenly softened and she smiled sweetly.  “Oh sweetheart.  Let me check with one of my teachers to see if I could get you set up.  Do you have anything in particular you want to do?”

Aspen shook her head.  “No…I’m open to anything.”

The woman nodded.  “Okay.  Wait here.  I’ll be right back.”  She walked away leaving Aspen alone in the lobby.  Aspen took a seat in one of the chairs and started looking at a magazine.  She was open to anything that the students wanted to do as long as she looked different.  A door opened and the woman came back in with another lady.  “Hello.  I’m Carmen, one of the teachers here.”

Aspen smiled.  “Hi.  I’m Megan.”

Carmen smiled.  “It’s very nice to meet you.  I have a student who just started and doesn’t have anyone to practice on.  If you are willing to let her get some practice, I will let you get you hair washed, cut, and colored for free.  Honestly, I think she has only had one client, so you are a blessing.”

Aspen smiled.  “Thanks.  I appreciate it.”

Carmen led Aspen back into the school to meet up with Bailey.  She was a very quiet girl who seemed very shy.  Bailey smiled.  “Hello.  Thank you.  I really appreciate you coming by.  I promise that I will make you look beautiful.”

Aspen blushed.  “Thanks.  Feel free to do whatever you want.  Dye my hair however you want and cut it to your hearts content.  Change up my look.”

Bailey led Aspen through the entire process.  She got her hair washed, cut, and dyed and it felt amazing.  Aspen hadn’t been able to feel pretty for a long time.  The girls were able to chat the entire time and they kept the conversation casual.  She loved it.

When Bailey finally turned the chair around, Aspen didn’t recognize herself.  Her long blonde hair was now a short black pixie cut.  Some of it was shaved and it was now super manageable.   She wanted to cry with how different she looked.  She was so appreciative of Bailey and what Bailey had done to change her look.

As they walked toward the door, Aspen gave Bailey a $20 bill.  She smiled.  “I know it’s not much, but this is a thank you.  I cannot express my gratitude.”

With a quick hug Aspen walked out the door.  She felt like a million bucks and she couldn’t be happier.  Maybe this could buy her a little extra time to make more changes in her life so she wasn’t so noticeable.